Portable adjustable tee and ball positioning device

ABSTRACT

This invention consists of a novel portable elongated handle bearing device or shaft having an apertured plate and a recessed end portion for releasably mounting a golf ball tee in a holding bracket member, which is connected to and slidable relative to projecting bars, which bars are connected to the elongated shaft. The bracket member has a transversely extending apertured portion for releasably mounting a ball between it and the head of a tee which is releasably held in a recessed projecting end portion of bars extending from said shaft. This teeing device permits a user to releasably mount the tee relative to said projecting bars and press it partly into the ground to leave the upper part at the desired height, and to then quickly and easily remove the device by side-wise or horizontal manual movement of the recessed end portion from the positioned tee, allowing the ball positioned on the head of the tee to remain in position to be driven by a golf club.

, [22] Filed:

United States Patent n91 Setecka 4] PORTABLE ADJUSTABLE TEE AND BALL POSITIONING DEVICE [76] inventor: John C. Setecka, 1931 S. Austin Ave., Cicero, 111. 60650 July 5, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 376,817

Primary ExaminerRichard C. Pinkham Assistant ExaminerHarry G. Strappello Attorney, Agent, or FirmJohn F. Brezina June 17, 1975 [5 7] ABSTRACT This invention consists of a novel portable elongated handle bearing device or shaft having an apertured plate and a recessed end portion for releasably mounting a golf ball tee in a holding bracket member, which is connected to and slidable relative to projecting bars, which bars are connected to the elongated shaft.

The bracket member has a transversely extending apertured portion for releasably mounting a ball between it and the head of a tee which is releasably held in a recessed projecting end portion of bars extending from said shaft.

This teeing device permits a user to releasably mount the tee relative to said projecting bars and press it partly into the ground to leave the upper part at the desired height, and to then quickly and easily remove the device by side-wise or horizontal manual movement of the recessed end portion from the positioned tee, allowing the ball positioned on the head of the tee to remain in position to be driven by a golf club.

5 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PATENIEIJJUN 17 1915 FIG5 PORTABLE ADJUSTABLETEE AND BALL POSITIONING'DEVICE Thisinvention'is directed to anovel device for pressing golf ball tees' into the ground at desired positions and to the desired depth and height without the necessity of the user bending over to-manually mount the tee into the ground, which said device includes means for adjustably and releasably mounting a golf ball between its upper portion and a ball tee which has been releasably mounted and held in the lower portion of said device.

This invention has additional novel means for adjustably positioning a stop member or movement limiting element for engaging the ground, and for limiting the upper movement ofa ball retaining member, which ball can be releasably held between the movable portion of said device and the head portion of a ball tee. which means are easily disengagable from the tee by side-wise or transverse movement of the device after the ball tee is mounted in position in the ground.

An important object of my invention is to provide a device of the described class having a elongated handle or shaft carrying a recessed socket in which the upper part ofa tee mounting member is mounted, and which includes an adjustable means for releasably and yieldably holding a golf ball between it and the head of a held tee, which tee is releasably held in said tee holding member; thereby providing quick and easy mounting of a tee relative to the ground, and the mounting of a ball in position on the tee ready to be driven by a golf club. In the Drawings:

FIG. 1 is an elevated view of my novel tee mounting device, with a portion of the shaft broken away.

FIG. 2 is a view looking at the underside end portion of the device, taken from a plane indicated by line 22 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an elevated view looking at the right side of said device, and with portions of the shaft broken away.

FIG. 4 is an elevated view looking at the device from the right side of FIG. 1 and having a part of the shaft broken away, and illustrating the ball positioned on a tee depressed into the ground.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary view looking at the underside of the bracket of my device and looking upwardly from a plane indicated by line 5-5 of FIG. 3.

Numeral l0 designates an elongated shaft or handle of metal which has an outer grip 11, which is usually spirally bound by a suitable grippable covering as illustrated. Said shaft is approximately of a length equal to the shaft of an iron or steel golf club, and is shown in FIG. 1 as partially broken away.

Numeral 12 designates an enlarged recessed socket which ispreferably wider at its lower end portion.

Numeral 13 is a metal tee carrying and holding memher which has its normally upper end securely mounted in the recesses of socket 12 and extends outwardly as illustrated and may be composed of a single metal bar, or as in the preferred form shown, as a pair of spaced apart relatively thin bars 130 and 1319, which may be formed from a single bar. The lower end portion of said tee holding number 13 is bent angularly, preferably at right angles, and formed with a side opening recess, as illustrated in FIG. 2, which recess is of a size to receive and impinge the upper portions of a golf tee 15. Such golf tees are manually pushed into such recess 14 so that the point of the tee extends outwardly and so that the said holding member may be releasably disengaged from the tee when desired.

Before mounting said holding member 13 into the socket or the shaft 10, a metal collar 16 having a knurled screw 17 is slidably mounted on the upper part of the tee holding member 16 for a purpose hereinafter described.

Numeral 18 designates an angular metal bracket which is preferably formed from a single metal strap, and its upper portion 18a is bent and doubled back into the form of a horizontal letter U. The upper U-shaped portion or plate 18a has two aligned apertures formed in both the upper and the lower part of said U-shaped head thereof, as shown in FIG. 5, and said tee holder member, before it is mounted in the socket 12, is slipped through the two pairs of aligned holes 21 in said head of said bracket, so that said bracket is slidable in the holes of the doubled back portion of the tee holding member along said tee holding member, which mounting maintains the bracket member substantially parallel to the tee holding member.

The normally lower end portion of the bracket is bent at right angles as illustrated to form a pad or foot 19, which is normally placed against the ground.

The lower horizontal part of the upper arm of bracket 18 has an enlarged hole 20 formed therein, partially shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, which engages the surface of a golf ball to aid in releasably holding the ball between it and the head of a ball tee.

The slidable stop member having the collar 16 is adapted to be adjustably positioned along the bar of the tee holding member 13 and secured in the desired position according to when it is desired that the downward pushing of the golf tee is to begin, as the downward manual pushing and movement of the shaft is transmitted to the angular bracket 18, which in turn pushes the golf ball against the head of the tee to press the tee into the ground to the desired degree. The stop foot or pad 19 will engage the soil to stop the downward movement of the bracket, said downward movement of the ball and the tee being normally transmitted through the preset collar 16.

Accordingly, when the tee is desired to be set relatively high relative to the ground, the collar 16 is secured and pre-set lower on the bar 13a of the tee holding member 13, which will cause the foot 19 to earlier engage the ground and limit the downward pushing of the tee.

After the tee has been set in the desired position, the user will move the device side-wise and horizontally away from the tee and thereby disengage the tee, leaving the ball in position on the tee ready to be driven by a club. 7

In the preferred form of my invention illustrated, the shape of the tee 15 is shown as having an annular groove or recess, which is adapted to receive the lower angularly bent portions or bars and 13b which aid in holding the tee in proper position, and so that such tees will not tilt or bend angularly when the same are pushed into the ground.

It is to be understood that tees of different and varied shapes may be satisfactorily used with my invention and which tees are adapted to be releasably mounted or impinged in the recess between the bars 13a and 13b and in the tee holding member.

While the foregoing specification sets forth the in vention in specific terms, it is to be understood that numerous changes may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed hereinafter, and it is contemplated that various changes may be made in the embodiment of the invention herein specifically described without departing from or sacrificing anyv of the advantages of the invention or any features thereof.

1 claim:

1. In a ball tee positioning device;

a grippable shaft having a socket secured on one end thereof;

a tee holding member having a pair of spaced apart bars mounted in said socket, and having an angularly bent lower recessed tee engaging portion with a recess opening transversly;

a passaged angular bracket member having a transversely extending passaged bracket, and having an opening therein;

said bars of said tee holding member being slidably mounted in the passages of said bracket;

said angular bracket member having an angular foot on the normally lower end thereof;

said tee holding member being adapted to releasably hold the upper portion of a tee therein;

said angular bracket member being adapted to have a golf ball mounted between its upper portion and the head of a tee releasably held in said tee holding member;

an adjustable stop collar on one of said bars being adapted to press against the angular passaged bracket to transmit through a positioned ball the downward pressure against said tee;

the manual downward movement of said tee holding member being adapted to push a held tee into the ground to the desired distance;

the transverse movement of said tee holding bracket being adapted to disengage the same from said tee and permit a ball to remain on said tee.

2. In a ball tee positioning device;

a grippable shaft having passaged recesses in the normally lower end thereof;

a tee holding member having a pair of spaced apart bars mounted in the recesses of said shaft, and having an angularly bent lower recessed tee engaging portion;

a passaged angular bracket member having a transversely extending passaged plate, said plate having a recess therein;

said bars of said tee holding member being slidably mounted in the passages of said plate;

said angular bracket member having a pressure foot on the lower end thereof;

said tee holding member being adapted to releasably hold the upper portion of a tee therein;

said angular bracket member being adapted to have a golf ball mounted between said plate and the head of a tee;

an adjustable stop collar on one of said bars being adapted to be pressed, on downward movement of said shaft, against the angular passaged bracket to transmit through a positioned ball the downward pressure against said tee;

the manual downward movement of said tee holding member being adapted to push the held tee into the ground to the desired distance;

the manual transverse movement of said tee holding bracket being adapted to disengage the same from said tee and permit a ball to remain on said tee.

3. In a ball tee positioning device;

a grippable shaft having a socket secured on one end thereof;

an angular rigid tee holding member adapted to have a tee releasably mounted thereon and having an end thereof mounted in said shaft and having an angularly bent lower end with a recess thereof adapted to receive the upper portion of a tee;

an angular passaged bracket having its upper portion slidably mounted on said tee holding member, and having a normally lower angular foot;

a stop collar adjustably slidable on said tee holding member to limit the upward movement of said bracket relative to said tee holding member;

said angular bracket being adapted to receive a golf ball mounted between its upper portion and the head of a tee releasably held in said tee holding member;

the manual downward movement of said tee holding member being adapted to push a held tee into the ground to the desired distance;

the transverse manual movement of said tee holding member being adapted to disengage the same from said tee and permit a ball to remain on said tee after such disengagement.

4. A golf tee positioning device adapted to press tees into desired ball supporting position, comprising an elongated grippable outwardly extending shaft;

a passaged tee holding member having an angularly bent recessed end portion in which a tee is adapted to be releasably mounted, said tee holding member being connected to one end of said shaft;

a metal angular bracket having its upper portion slidably mounted relative to said tee holding member, and having a lower bent ground engaging foot portion;

said angular bracket being adapted to releasably support a golf ball;

an adjustable collar on said tee holding member adapted to press against the angular bracket to limit the downward movement of the tee holding member relative to said bracket;

the depression of said shaft and said tee holding member being adapted to press a ball superposed on a tee, and adapted to press the tee into ground engaging position;

the transverse movement of said tee holding member being adapted to disengage same from a tee to permit a ball to be retained on said tee.

5. A golf tee and ball positioning device as recited in claim 4 wherein said end portion of said tee holding member is bifurcated and bent angularly and being adapted to frictionally engage the side portions of a tee to releasably retain said tee until said tee holding member is manually disengaged from said tee;

and wherein the upper portion of said angular bracket has an enlarged hole therein into which a portion of a golf ball extends to aid in holding said ball until said ball is positioned on the tee. 

1. In a ball tee positioning device; a grippable shaft having a socket secured on one end thereof; a tee holding member having a pair of spaced apart bars mounted in said socket, and having an angularly bent lower recessed tee engaging portion with a recess opening transversly; a passaged angular bracket member having a transversely extending passaged bracket, and having an opening therein; said bars of said tee holding member being slidably mounted in the passages of said bracket; said angular bracket member having an angular foot on the normally lower end thereof; said tee holding member being adapted to releasably hold the upper portion of a tee therein; said angular bracket member being adapted to have a golf ball mounted between its upper portion and the head of a tee releasably held in said tee holding member; an adjustable stop collar on one of said bars being adapted to press against the angular passaged bracket to transmit through a positioned ball the downward pressure against said tee; the manual downward movement of said tee holding member being adapted to push a held tee into the ground to the desired distance; the transverse movement of said tee holding bracket being adapted to disengage the same from said tee and permit a ball to remain on said tee.
 2. In a ball tee positioning device; a grippable shaft having passaged recesses in the normally lower end thereof; a tee holding member having a pair of spaced apart bars mounted in the recesses of said shaft, and having an angularly bent lower recessed tee engaging portion; a passaged angular bracket member having a transversely extending passaged plate, said plate having a recess therein; said bars of said tee holding member being slidably mounted in the passages of said plate; said angular bracket member having a pressure foot on the lower end thereof; said tee holding member being adapted to releasably hold the upper portion of a tee therein; said angular bracket member being adapted to have a golf ball mounted between said plate and the head of a tee; an adjustable stop collar on one of said bars being adapted to be pressed, on downward movement of said shaft, against the angular passaged bracket to transmit through a positioned ball the downward pressure against said tee; the manual downward movement of said tee holding member being adapted to push the held tee into the ground to the desired distance; the manual transverse movement of said tee holding bracket being adapted to disengage the same from said tee and permit a ball to remain on said tee.
 3. In a ball tee positioning device; a grippable shaft having a socket secured on one end thereof; an angular rigid tee holding member adapted to have a tee releasably mounted thereon and having an end thereof mounted in said shaft and having an angularly bent lower end with a recess thereof adapted to receive the upper portion of a tee; an angular passaged bracket having its upper portion slidably mounted on said tee holding member, and having a normally lower angular foot; a stop collar adjustably slidable on said tee holding member to limit the upward movement of said bracket relative to said tee holding member; said angular bracket being adapted to receive a golf ball mounted between its upper portion and the head of A tee releasably held in said tee holding member; the manual downward movement of said tee holding member being adapted to push a held tee into the ground to the desired distance; the transverse manual movement of said tee holding member being adapted to disengage the same from said tee and permit a ball to remain on said tee after such disengagement.
 4. A golf tee positioning device adapted to press tees into desired ball supporting position, comprising an elongated grippable outwardly extending shaft; a passaged tee holding member having an angularly bent recessed end portion in which a tee is adapted to be releasably mounted, said tee holding member being connected to one end of said shaft; a metal angular bracket having its upper portion slidably mounted relative to said tee holding member, and having a lower bent ground engaging foot portion; said angular bracket being adapted to releasably support a golf ball; an adjustable collar on said tee holding member adapted to press against the angular bracket to limit the downward movement of the tee holding member relative to said bracket; the depression of said shaft and said tee holding member being adapted to press a ball superposed on a tee, and adapted to press the tee into ground engaging position; the transverse movement of said tee holding member being adapted to disengage same from a tee to permit a ball to be retained on said tee.
 5. A golf tee and ball positioning device as recited in claim 4 wherein said end portion of said tee holding member is bifurcated and bent angularly and being adapted to frictionally engage the side portions of a tee to releasably retain said tee until said tee holding member is manually disengaged from said tee; and wherein the upper portion of said angular bracket has an enlarged hole therein into which a portion of a golf ball extends to aid in holding said ball until said ball is positioned on the tee. 